


Adam's Alive

by Alyssa_85



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: A little, Alternate Reality, Angst, Canon Compliant, Fluff, Kinda, M/M, Marriage, Shiro and Keith are grossly in love, Shiro gushing about his love for keith, Voltron Bingo 2018, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-09 17:50:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16454582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alyssa_85/pseuds/Alyssa_85
Summary: Adam is alive when the Paladins come back from space, Shiro needs to explain his relationship with Keith.Card: AUPrompt: Alternative Reality





	Adam's Alive

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate reality in which Adam didn’t die. This was originally going to be Adam trying to break Shiro and Keith up, but ended up just being an excuse for me to write Shiro gushing about how much he loves Keith and Adam being super supportive of them.
> 
> I kinda feel I lost the whole Alternate reality side of things, so it’s just everything is the same except Adam, but oh well.
> 
> Oh and Matt comes back with the Paladins instead of after too

“They’re coming!” Adam hears Commander Sam shout, people rushing around him in waves. Adam isn’t really sure who ‘they’ are, but he moves too, letting his legs carry him to the landing docks. From the landing strip, he sees two buggies heading towards them, the people gathering are smiling, waving flags and hands towards them. Adam wonders just who these people are.

He glances around him, Adam recognises a few people in the crowd, families of people long missing.

When the buggies park with a loud screech, Adam’s heart races. He doesn’t know what to expect. Who to expect. The doors open but from where he is the people are blurred and he can’t make out who they are. Two families rush forwards, Adam knows one. Lance McClain’s family. He was among the three cadets that had gone missing all those years ago.

Adam takes a few steps closer, wondering if the three other missing paladins are with him. They are. Adam catches sight of Pidge Gunderson, no, Holt, legs wrapped around her mother. Hunk Garrett stood off to the side, and Sam Holt standing beside him. It’s then he realises Hunk’s family isn’t there. They’re among the enslaved.

He moves even closer, eyes scanning over them, not really knowing who or what he’s looking for. He meets eyes with an older gentleman, with a moustache like he’s never seen, a beautiful girl with long white hair and another with blonde. Then he freezes. Eyes stopping on one person. He recognises them instantly. Takashi Shirogane. Adam had been told he wasn’t dead, informed of his perfect health, but still, to see him standing just a few feet away after so long has Adam’s heart feeling heavy.

Adam begins to run, wanting to close the distance between them, wanting to wrap his arms around Takashi and never let him go. He stops when he spots another man beside Takashi, hair dark, covering his face as he leans down to stroke a weird looking dog. Keith. He’s older now, a ghost of who he was when Adam knew him. Shiro glances down at Keith, a soft smile on his lips before looking back up at Iverson.

Keith’s also smiling and Adam wishes he could make out what they’re saying. Keith hadn’t exactly left the Garrison on best terms with Iverson, so to see him smiling and talking civilly is the last thing he expects to see. Well, perhaps that’s not true.

When Iverson finally bows his head and begins to walk away, Adam continues on his path to Takashi. Until Keith spots him. Adam stops again, not really know why he’s doing so. Keith is still just a child to him, the little runt who for some reason Takashi doted on. The way Keith looks at him, though, has Adam on edge.

Takashi’s back is to him, but Keith continues to stare, eyes squinting as if trying to make out just who Adam was. Then it happens. Keith moves to stand in front of Takashi and in one quick movement has his lips pressed to his. Adam expects Takashi to push him away like he had the time Keith kissed him all those years ago, but he doesn’t. His arms wrap around Keith, pulling him closer. The girls and moustache man glance at them, before turning their backs and walking away. Keith’s hands wind around Takashi’s back and his middle finger is up.

Wide-mouthed, Adam catches Keith’s eye again, and he’s sure he’s smirking. Adam begins his walk again. A man on a mission.

“Takashi?” He calls out and Shiro turns, eyes wide.

“Adam?”

“Y-you really are alive.”

Shiro pats himself. “I really am.”

Keith snorts beside him. “Don’t act like you haven’t been watching us.”

“Keith. Good to see you’re not dead.”

“Eat shit, Adam.”

“Keith!” Shiro scolds, but he’s smiling. Eyes soft as he glances at Keith. Adam feels his stomach drop further. “It’s good to see you, Adam.”

“You two are together?” He doesn’t mean it to come out as disgusted as it does, but he stands his ground, glancing between them. “The kid you basically raised.”

“I didn’t raise anyone. Keith was already fully raised when he arrived here. He’s an adult now.”

“You didn’t know? These two were in love when they arrived with us!” Coran exclaims, forcing himself into the conversation.

Shiro splutters. “N-no we weren’t!”

“You were together when you went on the Kerberos mission, weren’t you? That’s why you took Keith’s advice over mine!”

“Of course we weren’t, Adam! I loved you!”

“Yeah? That’s why you swanned off to space the second the opportunity arrived?”

Keith steps between them, fire in his eyes. “He followed his dream, Adam. You’re just upset that you weren’t his.”

Lance, Hunk and Pidge had joined the small crowd at some point, looking between the three. It’s awkward for everyone, but no one makes a move to leave.

Adam ignores Keith, looking past him to Shiro. “So you’re with the child now?”

“He’s not a child, Adam. Look at him, he’s an adult.”

Adam glares, looking Keith up and down. “Still looks like a child to me. Still looks like the snot-nosed kid that followed you around day in, day out. The same one who stole your car? The same-“

“Enough.” Shiro cuts him off. “That’s enough, Adam.” He glances around at the people surrounding them. “I don’t want to talk about this here, let’s go somewhere else?”

“Scared they’ll think you’re something bad, Shiro?” Adam taunts.

“Fuck off,” Keith growls. “There’s nothing wrong with Shiro. He’s done nothing wrong.” He goes to take Shiro’s hand, but it’s pulled away. Keith looks up at him, hurt. “Shiro…”

“Adam let’s talk about this somewhere else, okay?”

“No. I have nothing else to say, enjoy your child.” With that Adam turns and runs away.

“Adam!” Shiro calls, chasing after him, leaving Keith standing alone, looking on at them. It’s silent for a moment before Allura steps forwards hand moving to rest on Keith’s shoulder, but thinking better of it.

“Was that the man from his dreams?” She asks, voice soft.

Keith nods. “Adam. He broke Shiro’s heart years ago.” He grinds his teeth together. “He has a lot of nerve speaking to Shiro like that after everything he did.”

“He called him ‘Takashi’, what does that mean?”

“It’s his name.”

“His name isn’t Shiro?” Coran questions, eyes wide.

“No. Well, yes, but no. His name is Takashi Shirogane, we just call him Shiro.”

“Why doesn’t he?”

Keith hesitates, looking down at the ground. “Because it’s a sign of intimacy. Shows they were close, okay?” Keith kicks the floor, dirt flicking up in a cloud around his foot. “I’m going to find out where we’re staying.”

The small group watch him go, no one wanting to follow after him. “That was awkward,” Lance pipes up, scratching at the back of his neck. “So that’s the ex-boyfriend.”

“They were really serious,” Pidge replies, pushing her glasses up her face. “Matt told me Shiro had been contemplating proposing, but something happened just before the Kerberos mission and they split. Shiro was really cut up about it apparently.”

“What else did Matt tell you?”

“Keith’s always been in love with Shiro.”

“Well, we already knew that.”

“I mean, really in love with him. He tried to kiss him back at the Garrison, Matt said Shiro pushed him away instantly, but Adam saw it happen and got super jealous, he wouldn’t let Keith near Shiro for like two weeks.”

Lance whistles. “Shit, no wonder Adam’s freaking out about them being together now, it wouldn’t be hard to think they were together before the mission.”

“You mean they really weren’t?” Coran asks.

Pidge shakes her head. “No. They were just friends.”

“When do you think they actually got together?” Hunk questions, tapping his chin. “There was no noticeable change in their relationship.”

Pidge shrugs. “I’m guessing it was pretty recently. A lot has happened, it would be easy to miss a slight shift in them.”

“What will we do about Adam, though?”

“There’s nothing we can do. They’re all grown adults, they need to work through this themselves. Shiro and Keith are doing nothing wrong., but obviously, because of their past, Adam’s not going to see it that way. To him, Keith hasn’t grown up. Keith is still a young kid obsessed with Shiro, but that’s obviously not reality. Shiro on the other hand sees Keith as an adult. He’s not a child, he’s a man. Keith just has to prove that to Adam.”

“You don’t think Adam is going to try and get back together with Shiro?”

“Who knows? I do know that Shiro loves Keith though, so I don’t think we need to worry about that.”

* * *

 

Shiro chases Adam to the staff dorms, where Adam tries to slam a door in his face, but Shiro shoves his foot in the way, ignoring the excruciating pain that shoots through him. “Adam, stop and listen to me!”

“What? So you can make more excuses for yourself?”

“I’m not making excuses for anyone. I love Keith, I just want you to understand that without thinking badly of me!”

Adam sighs, standing back from the door. “Fine. Come in, you can explain it all.”

Shiro hurries in before Adam can change his mind. He glances around. The room looks exactly like it had all those years ago and he feels his heart tug in his chest. Last time he’d been there he and Adam had fought. They’d broken up.

“Sit. Explain.”

Shiro sits, waiting for Adam to do the same before he starts his story. “Look, Adam, me and Keith weren’t together when I left for the mission. We both know how he felt about me, but I felt nothing. He was just someone I needed to protect. But… being in space with him… things changed. I saw Keith in a new light. He’s not that child that followed me around, he’s a man. A man who has saved my life more times than I can count. A man who was willing to give up knowing about his family if it meant I wouldn’t leave him. A man who put himself in danger just to protect me.” Shiro sighs, a soft smile on his face as he runs his fingers through his white hair. “I’m only here because Keith loves me.”

“And what about you? Do you love him?”

Shiro smiles and Adam can see the answer before Shiro says it. “I do. I don’t know how or when it happened, I just know I love him. He means everything to me, Adam. I can’t explain it.”

Adam sighs. “You really didn’t love him when we were together?”

“Of course not. I loved you back then, Adam, Keith was like a little brother to me, but those feelings… they changed.”

He nods. “He better be good to you.”

“He is. The best. You wouldn’t believe the number of times he’s saved my life, Adam.”

Adam smiles. “You’ll have to tell me all about it when you have the time. Right now, though, you should go find Keith, I think you hurt him when you pulled your hand away.” Adam glances at Shiro’s missing arm. “You’ll need to explain that too.” Another smile crosses Adam’s face. “I’m really glad you’re alive, Taka-Shiro, when they told me you’d died all those years ago… it broke my heart. But here you are, alive and well.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say I was ‘well’.” Shiro laughs, rubbing the back of his head. “I’m down an arm, I’ve died twice and lost all the colouring of my hair, but yeah, I’m alive.”

“You’ve died? Twice?”

“It’s two very long stories that both end in Keith bringing me back.”

“He never could let you go.”

“No, I guess not.”

“He did a good job.”

“Yeah.” He grins. “I’ll see you around, Adam. What are you doing now by the way?”

“Fighter pilot. I continued as a teacher for a while after you left, but after the news of you dying, I decided I wanted to be a fighter pilot, so I could protect the ones I love better than I did with you.”

“I didn’t need protecting back then, Adam.”

“That’s not true, you just didn’t need mine. Let’s face it, Shiro, we were over way before we actually broke up. We loved each other, we just wanted different things.”

“Very different.”

“However, it must be fate that’s it’s Keith you ended up with, after everything, I mean.”

“I’m not sure I believe in fate, but I do know Keith never gave up on me, even when he was told I was dead. Even when he was holding my dead body in his arms, he still believed in me, and for that, I couldn’t be more grateful.”

“I should have known it would be Keith by your side one day.”

“My right hand. Literally right now.” Adam doesn’t know if he should laugh, but the way Shiro’s eye light up and a smile spread across his features he decided just maybe it would be okay. He laughs and Shiro stares, before laughing himself. “That’s a sound I haven’t heard in some time.”

“It’s a sound _I_ haven’t heard in a long time,” Adam replies, wiping the tears from his eyes. “Your humour is as dark as ever.”

“Gotta make light of a bad situation somehow,” he jokes, grinning at him. “Anyway, I really should go. Let’s hang out sometime though, Adam, Keith too. I’ll bring a friend, someone for you.”

“I don’t want to date one of your aliens, Shiro.”

“You won’t be saying that when you see him.”

“Right.” He waves his hand. “Now shoo, find your boyfriend and apologise for earlier.”

* * *

 

Shiro walks around the Garrison for at least an hour before he finally finds Keith. He’s sitting in his old dorm, back pressed up against the wall and his face resting in his knees. Shiro’s sure this is now someone else’s room, but Keith doesn’t seem to care. Shiro sits down on the bed beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, babe.” Keith doesn’t respond, instead shuffling away slightly. Shiro feels his heart jolt. “Okay, I get it. I hurt you earlier, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I pulled my hand away like that, I guess what Adam was saying got to me. You have to admit our past makes our current relationship look bad, Keith.”

“No. No, I can’t admit that, Shiro, and if you really think that why don’t we just break up? Go back to being ‘brothers’?”

“I don’t think our relationship is weird, but from an outsiders’ point of view, someone who only knew us before the whole space thing, I can see why. When I left here, Keith, you were just a kid.”

“Stop saying that, Shiro, I was never just a kid. I was seventeen when you left. Only one year from being a legal adult. I know you saw me as a kid, I know everyone did, but I wasn’t.”

“You know what I mean, Keith. They don’t know us. They don’t know you. They don’t know how grown up you are. They still see you as the person you were when you got kicked out of the Garrison. The immature Keith. But you’re not that person anymore, and I see that. Adam will too. I’ve explained everything to him, he just wants what’s best for me.” Shiro cups Keith’s face, forcing him to look at him. “And that’s you, Keith. You’re what’s best for me. I think maybe you always have been, back then it was just in a different way.”

“I’ve always been beside you, Shiro.”

“You have. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. I don’t need to be thanked. It’s all selfish. Everything I did, it was for me. I didn’t want to lose you, so I didn’t let you go.”

Shiro leans forwards, pressing his lips softly to Keith’s forehead. “It’s okay to be selfish, Keith. I’m glad you were. I don’t think I’ve told you how much it killed me when I had to sit back and watch you get hurt, knowing there was nothing I could do to stop it. All the nights you spent out in Black looking for me, me knowing I couldn’t just let you know I was there, I was with you. Thank you for being selfish. Thank you for never giving up on me.”

“You never gave up on me either.”

“And I still never will. For years to come, Keith, I want to be beside you. I want to be protecting you and being protected by you. I want you to be with me for as long as I live, and knowing you, you’ll make sure that’s forever.”

Keith chuckles softly and kisses him. “Are you proposing to me?”

“Would that be a problem?”

“Is that even a question?” Keith pounces on him, arms wrapped tightly around Shiro’s neck, nuzzling his face into his soft hair. “Yes! Yes! Yes! Of course, I’ll marry you!”

Shiro holds him tight. “As soon as this war is over, we’ll be married.”

“Why wait?”

“What?”

“Why wait till the war is over. I’m certain someone here can marry us, all our friends are here, why do we need to wait? I want to marry you as soon as possible, Shiro.”

“You’re right, why wait?”

* * *

 

A week later and Keith is dressed up in his suit. Red to match his lion, with a black waistcoat and tie to match both his and Shiro’s lion. He’s standing in a back room, Lance faffing with his tie and Hunk constantly pulling at his jacket.

“I can’t believe you’re getting married,” Lance says, undoing the tie for the fourth time. “We’ve been on earth for a week and you’re getting married. What’s more, Coran is the officiator? Of all people?”

Keith chuckles. “He wanted to do it. Can you make this the last time, please, I’m quite sick of you repeatedly doing this damn tie.”

“Sorry, sorry, I’m just nervous.”

“Why are you nervous?” Hunk asks, tugging one last time before standing up. “It’s Keith’s wedding.”

“Yeah, but what if Allura wants to dance?”

“That’s what you’re nervous about?”

“Yes! Of course, I’m nervous about that!”

Keith smacks him upside the head. “Stop making this about you, Lance, this is my day. Allura will dance with you, but for now, let’s focus on me.”

“Wow, Keith actually wants to focus on himself? That’s a miracle.”

“Oh, shut up.”

* * *

 

Standing at the alter is Shiro, he’s donning a black suit and red waistcoat and tie. Adam is beside him, grinning wildly at Matt who is sitting in the stands reading his speech over and over. Adam was happy to learn Matt was alive, and happier when he saw him just after his conversation with Shiro. They’d been friends before the mission, good ones. Matt would often spend time in his and Shiro’s room, sometimes spending the night.

Matt looks up, catching his eye, a blush spreading across his cheeks. They’d got close in the last week, and Adam would be lying if he said he hadn’t grown a small crush on Matt. Matt would be too. He shyly waves at Adam from across the room then goes back to his speech.

“When are you just going to ask him out?” Shiro asks, glancing between them. “It’s obvious you guys like each other.” He pauses. “Which I have to say, I didn’t see coming. I thought he was straight as an arrow.”

“So were you before we met,” Adam smirks. “Guess I’m just good at turning the straight boys gay.”

“Adam, I was never straight,” Shiro replies, chuckling lightly. “You were just the one who really brought me out of my shell.”

“And look at us now, I’m the best man at your wedding.”

“Joint best man, can’t forget about Matt over there.”

“I never forget about him. He’s always on my mind.”

Shiro punches him lightly. “TMI, Adam.”

Adam laughs, glancing at Matt. “Just the truth.”

Keith had objected to walking down the aisle, but that hadn’t stopped Lance and Hunk hooking their arms through his and forcing him to do it anyway. He walks as fast as the two men on his arms will let him, wanting everyone to stop looking at him, but the second his eyes fall on Shiro his heart pounds.

“Let me go,” he hisses, trying to yank his arms away. “This is humiliating.”

“It’s part of a being a bride, Keith,” Lance teases.

“I’m not a fucking bride.”

Keith catches Shiro’s eyes across the room and Shiro has the softest look on his face, tears already welling in his eyes and Keith is a wreck. He wasn’t expecting to cry, at least not that early into the wedding, but there he was, two men on his arms and tears streaming down his face.

Shiro comes to meet him halfway down the aisle, so Lance and Hunk let go, letting Shiro wrap his arms tightly around Keith.

“You look handsome,” Shiro whispers, rubbing the sobbing Keith’s back.

“So do you.”

“I love you, Keith.”

“I love you too, Shiro.”

“Takashi.”

“What?”

“Call me Takashi, we’re getting married, I think that’s pretty intimate.”

“Takashi. I like it.”

“It sounds good out of your lips.”

Lance clears his throat behind them. “We haven’t got all day, guys.”

* * *

 

Adam’s standing off to the side as Shiro and Keith enjoy their first dance as a married couple. He couldn’t believe just a week ago he was so mad that they were together and now he’s watching happily as they dance at their wedding.

“Something on your mind?” Matt asks, coming to stand beside him. “Does it upset you to see?”

“No. I’m happy for them. They’re really in love, aren’t they?”

Matt smiles. “Yeah. Katie said she watched Shiro fall in love with Keith, said it was quite fascinating to see someone’s feelings change right in front of her eyes.”

“I bet Keith’s happy. We all know how in love with Shiro he was.”

“Yeah. Head over heels.”

“And now they’re married. Crazy how things change, eh?”

“Yeah. Crazy.”

The song comes to a stop, another slow song taking its place.

“Hey… Matt… Do you want to dance?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Matt takes the hand held out to him and lets Adam lead him to the dance floor. The dance starts awkward, neither really knowing where to put their hands, but as the song went by they fall into a rhythm, Adam’s arms around Matt’s shoulders and Matt’s around his waist.

“I really like you,” Matt whispers, head resting on Adam’s shoulder. “I don’t know what happened in this past week, but I really do.”

“Hey, I’m glad. I really like you too, Matt.”

They continue to dance for the rest of the evening, and as they wave the married couple off, their hands are intertwined at their side. Adam was happy. For the first time in a long time, he was happy.


End file.
